Looking back at one of my greatest memories of military change of charge at Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC), where the prospective Commanding Officer relieved the incumbent. These ceremonies take place about every two years, so I have witnessed more than a dozen throughout my 30+ years of service. This particular change of command ranked pretty high on my list, because the Commanding Officer clearly made it about the TEAM. He led for 727 days and finished with the team in mind.
It isn’t that other leaders don’t genuinely care about the team; most often they sincerely do. However, despite their best efforts, some lose sight of this important pillar required to reach lasting mission success. Some are driven by fear of failure, and tarnishing their own image. Others are motivated by what may lie beyond the present, such as rank, respect and power. In search of power and aggrandizement some leaders believe they are the savior of the organization, quickly instituting swooping changes and directing each and every move with little regard to the impact on the TEAM. Some experts classify these characteristics as hubris syndrome, some of which I share below from an interesting article I ran across on the subject:
“Using power for self-glorification;
An almost obsessive focus on personal image
Excessive self-confidence, accompanied by contempt for advice or criticism of others
Loss of contact with reality
Speaking as a messiah
Reckless and impulsive actions”
Don’t get me wrong. Leaders play an essential role in achieving success in teams, and it certainly did at NCDOC, which is the main reason I joined the TEAM. I have no regrets because I gained more than I initially imagined, mentored by an inspirational leader who put the TEAM first, and surrounded by an excellent TEAM that helped me grow as I helped others develop and grow.
Leadership is the single greatest factor in any team’s performance, Willink and Babin, “Extreme Ownership”. “The leader sets the tone for the entire team. The leader drives performance or doesn’t.” Leaders set clear guidance, standards, expectation and priorities based on their strategic knowledge and insight of the mission and head quarter’s overall direction. Good leaders develop and inculcate a clear but challenging vision. They equip the workforce with the resources they need to succeed and remove barriers so as to make team’s path less burdensome. Over time, leaders shape the culture necessary to go beyond just the day to day execution of the mission. But even these things must not be done without the TEAM’s active involvement.
While the leader of an organization is absolutely crucial to achieving mission success, great leaders focus a great deal on building and empowering the TEAM. The leader cannot achieve mission success by doing it all herself or himself. In “Team of Teams”, retired General Stanley McChrystal, said “The temptation to lead as a chess master, controlling each move of the organization, must give way to an approach as a gardener, enabling rather than directing. The leader acts as an “Eyes-On, Hands-Off” enabler who creates and maintains an ecosystem in which the organization operates.”
Throughout his tenure, CAPT Sean Heritage, shaped a culture of collective ownership at every level, with shared vision, creativity and innovation. He fostered an environment or “ecosystem” where responsible risk was welcomed, an absolute necessity for progress in operating in a highly dynamic cyber defense mission area. He actively and proudly recruited talent that would be placed in key mission areas to help advance the TEAM ever so closely toward that vision. He exuded passion, energy and optimism, fueling the team when they needed it the most. As a good gardener, he knew what kind of seeds yielded the best crops, when and where to plant them and just how much nutrients it needed to flourish.
This change of charge ceremony reflected this focus on the TEAM. Our Commanding Officer made sure the theme for this ceremony represented the achievements the TEAM had reached throughout the 727 days. The word WE was emphasized throughout the speech and in the command culture video presented, as it did under his leadership. We acknowledged, recognized and celebrated the contributions made by the collective TEAM. The innovative ideas, important projects and key operations could not be realized without it.
These are lessons I have learned throughout my journey as a leader, but were never manifested to the degree it was this past year. So as you develop as a leader, consider the following:
Exude passion, energy and optimism because it spreads like wild fire. It helps push, lift and inspire when needed the most.
Lift the TEAM. WE will fail at times, especially when we push the boundaries as we grow. But it’s about what we learn together, so that WE become stronger and smarter the next time.
Challenge the TEAM to reach their potential, but give them the trust and space they need to stretch. You will be surprised.
Be inclusive in shaping the team’s culture. Culture shaping could not be imposed. The team must be guided but their voices heard and shared values reflected. Use WE in everyday language; take collective ownership.
Create the environment where key stakeholders throughout the organization can make connections, collaborate and engender new ideas, improvements and solutions to complex problems.